Greg Tasker | Author

Connecting Family and Culture through Food

Dec. 7, 2024

Traverse City enjoys a well-deserved reputation as a foodie destination. No wonder—restaurants embraced the farm-to-table movement long ago, and the dining scene is expansive, embracing everything from Asian to Italian.

Still, there’s always room at the table for another… Read More >>

Welcome to the Heyday of Clay

Nov. 2, 2024

Nearly a century ago, a group of game bird hunters in the Petoskey area gathered to form the Emmet County Sportsmen’s Club, creating a private space where they could shoot trap and socialize.

By the 1940s, the Emmet County Sportsmen’s Club had become synonymous with the … Read More >>

Making Dinner for You: Three Private Chefs Talk Menus, Inspiration, and Ingredients

Oct. 12, 2024

Personal chefs are not a new concept, but their popularity has been growing in recent years, as more and more of us seek to experience new flavors and cuisines. We also want to reap the bounty of seasonal fruits and vegetables, herbs, and other products so prevalent in our area, bringing fa… Read More >>

Where New York City Meets Northern Michigan (By Way of Naples)

Sept. 14, 2024

There’s no shortage of pizza choices in Traverse City. There’s wood-fired. Stone-fired. Flatbread. Detroit-style. Deep dish. And, of course, an abundant selection of pies from regional and national pizza chains.

But until Two Sons Pizza opened up on East Front Street in … Read More >>

Growing Roots, Brewing Beer

Aug. 10, 2024

The apple orchard near Bliss, Michigan, is a bit of a hike from Elder Piper Beer + Cider in Petoskey, but for owners Trace and Eeva Redmond, the connection to the family farm and local ingredients is more important than the drive.

After a decade working for some of the country&rsquo… Read More >>

It's BBQ Night at Ray's

July 13, 2024

When the prized trout are feeding on the famed Au Sable River in May and June, there’s a good chance hungry fly anglers from all over are going to make a stop by Ray’s BBQ, Brews & Blues for good food, beer, and music.

With its location on the Au Sable in Grayling, R… Read More >>

The Michigan Riviera

June 29, 2024

The azure blue waters of Torch Lake in the summer often inspire comparisons to the Caribbean or exotic locales, so it’s no surprise that the coastline of this northern Michigan inland sea boasts a spot known as “the Riv,” short for riviera.The azure blue waters of Torch La… Read More >>

Upping the Ante at Room 94 Taps and Bourbon

April 20, 2024

For gamblers and non-gamblers alike, the dining options at many casinos are often lackluster—a sandwich shop, small café, or a standard all-you-can-eat buffet.

Odawa Casino in Petoskey is out to change that dynamic.

The casino is upping its food and drink game w… Read More >>

Drink What Defines You

March 9, 2024

Meet the new kid on the block on Union Street: Identity Brewing Company. Identity took over the former home of The Dish Cafe, a popular luncheon destination in downtown Traverse City that offered alcoholic beverages and a healthy menu but with limited hours. The eatery officially rebranded … Read More >>

Cows and Artists and Bon Jovi, Oh My! The 106-year history of Castle Farms

Feb. 10, 2024

For more than a century, the fieldstone towers of the Renaissance-style castle outside Charlevoix have loomed over the handsome countryside, stoking the imagination of the curious and the aspirations of dreamers. 

Count me among the curious. Why is a European-style castle tucke… Read More >>

Jack Archiable: The Man, The Beer, The Legend

Jan. 20, 2024

It’s been a long time since Jack Archiable could be found behind the scenes at the Short’s Brewing Co., helping with bottling, packaging, cleaning kegs, and giving public tours at the brewer’s facilities in Bellaire and Elk Rapids.

“I told Joe Short [owner of… Read More >>

Making the Nectar of the Gods

Jan. 6, 2024

In just a matter of weeks, if Mother Nature cooperates, clusters of frozen Riesling and other selected grapes clinging to barren, gnarly vines will be harvested, perhaps in the dark of night or in the flurry of snow.

There’s much more work ahead—in frigid conditions as w… Read More >>

Shipwreck Whiskey: What’s Happening with the Westmoreland and its High-Proof Treasures?

Dec. 2, 2023

Few shipwrecks in the Great Lakes pique the fascination of armchair treasure hunters as much as the Westmoreland, a cargo-laden passenger steamer that met its doom in the icy waters of the Manitou Passage off the Leelanau Peninsula in 1854.

Bound for Mackinac Island on its … Read More >>

Keepin' a Good Thing Goin' at Jax

Nov. 18, 2023

It’s not every day a popular restaurant changes hands.

But that’s been the case with Jax Northside Food & Spirits, a dining and drink destination in Charlevoix that’s been around in various incarnations for decades and has been a go-to for year-round and season… Read More >>

90 Years of Art’s Tavern

Oct. 7, 2023

Chances are, if you spend any time exploring the Leelanau Peninsula, you’re going to end up eating at least one meal at Art’s Tavern in Glen Arbor.

This welcoming throwback to another era stands proudly on M-22 in the heart of Glen Arbor, welcoming tourists and locals al… Read More >>

The World Is Her...Lobster?

Sept. 16, 2023

If you’ve checked out Gaylord’s dining scene lately, you’ve likely eaten at one of Kat Steinbrecher’s popular family of restaurants.

There’s Mary’s Stein Haus, offering German and American fare. Porter Haus, with a menu featuring steaks, burgers, … Read More >>

Bringing the South to the North

Aug. 19, 2023

Over the years, North Country Kitchen and Bar in Suttons Bay (formerly North Country Grill and Pub) has become a favorite among locals and tourists, thanks to its welcoming and rustic vibe and a menu laden with Up North favorites like prime rib and whitefish.

Now, under new ownershi… Read More >>

Inside The Alluvion

Aug. 5, 2023

Without a doubt, there are plenty of places in Traverse City for musicians to take the stage and perform: The City Opera House, the Dennos Museum Center, and Interlochen Center for the Arts, as well as countless bars, breweries, and wineries.

But for many local musicians, those opti… Read More >>

What’s on Your Plate?

July 22, 2023

Summer on the Leelanau Peninsula means many things, but for restaurants like Martha’s Leelanau Table in Suttons Bay and Farm Club, tucked along a rural stretch of a county road outside Traverse City, it’s the bounty of the season. Orchards and farms dot the rolling, bucolic land… Read More >>

The Littlest Cherry Ambassadors

June 24, 2023

As sweet and tart cherries ripen in the orchards surrounding Grand Traverse Bay, an exclusive group of first-graders and their classmates are putting the finishing touches on colorful school floats for the National Cherry Festival parades.

This special group of kids—56 in all&… Read More >>